Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Two Annual 1
This is the second annual of the Injustice comic series, taking place before issue eight and the seven month timeskip. This annual is unique in both that it tells two stories instead of one like the previous annual, and that it is the first issue of the Injustice series not written by Tom Taylor. Release Date Injustice: Gods Among Us Year Two Annual #1 (Released October 1, 2014) Recap Part One: Closing Time In the headquarters of the Gotham City resistance, the Birds of Prey, Oracle and their newest ally Harley Quinn are relaxing and unwinding, looking at projector slides of their happier past. When Oracle sees a picture of an unmasked Nightwing, she quickly excuses herself. A despondent Barbara is sitting in the headquarter's monitor room when an alarm goes off. A shocked Barbara calls her father in and as he demands to know what's going on, he goes silent when he sees an image of Barbara's mother on one of the monitors, both father and daughter knowing she vanished fifteen years ago. The next night, Gordon takes a super-pill as he prepares to head out to find the woman who may be his wife, though Barbara reminds him that they're only making his cancer worse, and she still believes her mother is dead. Gordon tells his daughter that sometimes the things they love can come back to them before heading out. In the streets of Gotham, Oracle guides her father through the alleyways to avoid the patrolling groups of Regime Soldiers, though Gordon has to knock out a single one with a chokehold. Oracle then tells her father that the woman has been sighted at the Gotham Botanical Gardens. Gordon finds the woman there is shocked when he thinks it really is his wife. But after embracing her, the woman's skin turns into clay and the person reveals themselves to be Basil Karlo, Clayface. An enraged Gordon grabs Clayface by his neck as he pleads for Gordon to give him protection from the Regime Soldiers, saying they'll kill him if they find him. When Gordon demands a good reason, Clayface reveals he knows where his wife's body is buried. Clayface reveals that in his youth he ran with the Red Hood Gang and tells Gordon he witnessed them kill his wife when she stumbled on their smuggling ring, burying her body under the Gotham pier. Clayface then leads Gordon to the spot and digs a large hole up, before apologizing to Gordon. A solemn faced Gordon contacts Oracle and assures her that her mother will be waiting for him. Back at the resistance headquarter, Gordon has brought Clayface before the shocked and angered Birds of Prey. After telling Oracle that he is having a police detachment take her mother's body, he proposes to the Birds of Prey that that in return for Clayface's services they will provide him protection from Superman's forces. Gordon then has Harley Quinn extract a blood sample from a compliant Clayface as he explains the rules of their alliance. As Renee Montoya and Batwoman take Clayface away, Harley Quinn whispers to Gordon that there's more than one way to get closure. Later, Oracle is working when she sees what she thinks is Nightwing walking the halls and follows after him. Quickly realizing it is Clayface in disguise, she demands he stop and reveals that his blood sample revealed Kryptonian blood in his system and they know he's met with Superman. Barbara realizes Superman sent him to torment them by taking the shape of their departed loved ones and make them turn against each other. Clayface confirms this, saying Superman was very specific before attacking Oracle as Nightwing. Barbara manages to catch his punch and push him back, and as Clayface assumes his true form, she demands to know if the body he led Gordon too was even her mother's. Clayface confirms it was before revealing that he had a hand in her demise. Commissioner Gordon and the Birds of Prey quickly arrive, though Clayface dispatches Gordon, Huntress and Batwoman with a few blows before he is stunned and weakened by Black Canary's Canary Cry, allowing Oracle to knock him out by hitting him with a wheel from her chair. Later, Gordon fixes Barbara's chair while Harley Quinn patches Black Canary up, before dividing Clayface's malleable body into smaller chunks and seals them in several containers. The next day, Gordon finds Barbara looking over the slides again. Father and daughter discuss how Barbara is dealing with her father's imminent death and come to terms, growing closer as they embrace, with Barbara assuring her father she will learn to cope and knows he and her mother will be waiting for her. Part Two: The Ur-Forge: An Untold Injustice Tale The second story opens with a description of the Ur-Forge, an item of great power forged by the Weaponers of Qward, before showing an image of Superman, his eyes red and his lips curled in an insane grin, holding the forge, a caption saying, "Plaything of the god gone mad..." The scene shifts to Superman, Hal Jordan and Sinestro standing on a balcony overlooking a city, with Superman informing the two that the Guardians of the Universe are searching for the Ur-Forge, the Man of Steel calling the Guardians blind manipulative frauds. Sinestro expresses doubts over the forge's existence until Superman confirms that he has not only seen it but knows where it is as he prepares to give the two ring-wielders its coordinates. Superman says that what the Ur-Forge could unleash is unimaginable and urges Hal and Sinestro to bring the forge to him for the sake of the Earth. Later, Hal and Sinestro fly into the deep recesses of space to a small moon that both men assume was once the cradle of life for the Weaponers of Qward and where their first creations still linger. Hal and Sinestro discuss how the Weaponers, in their obsession to craft and strengthen, remade their birthworld into what they see before them. The two are soon attacked by a mechanical creature that Hal dispatches with ease before Sinestro has a chance to act. Hal warns Sinestro to back off, shocking his former friend, who tries to cite all they've been through, but Hal only throws this back in his face and uses it to reinforce his mistrust. The two later settle by a campfire, deciding to continue their hunt for the Ur-Forge in the morning. Sinestro offers to watch but Hal quickly shoots the offer down. Sinestro points out that Hal doesn't trust him, and confirms that he doesn't need to, only trust in Superman himself. Hal says that Kal-El is his friend and Sinestro reminds Hal that they were once friends, though now they have fallen so far as to be eager to fight each other like civilized killers. Hal snaps that Lanterns aren't killers and Sinestro retorts that the same was once said of Superman. Sinestro tells his former student that he has seen many worlds dies because one man decided to be their savior and that he was one of those men once, before reminding Jordan of the destruction he inflicted on his homeworld and that he was once Hal's friend. Sinestro tells Hal that he thinks he sees himself in Kal and that Hal sees a second chance for redemption in him and the ability to save more lives this time. Hal is silent, and so Sinestro chooses to rest, joking about who will make breakfast in the morning. Hal asks if humor comes with the genocidal starter kit and Sinestro reminds him that he has seen many worlds die and that humor is all they have at the end. Sinestro trails off, and Hal realizes that someone has to do something to prevent the world from dying, as well as realizing that the Weaponers tore their birthworld apart and replaced it with a mechanical obscenity. Hal nods off and he and Sinestro awaken when they are attacked by another mechanical monster. As they fight the beast off, Sinestro suddenly realizes that the Ur-Forge has been moved when he discovers they are closer to its signal. The two ring wielders fly ahead, baiting the monster after them. Hal and Sinestro come across a group of Green Lanterns attempting to take the Ur-Forge and the student and mentor unleash the monster on them before absconding with the forge. They move ahead and stop, with Sinestro studying the Ur-Forge while Hal internally curses himself, knowing that no matter whose hands the forge ends up in, it will cause immeasurable damage. Sinestro suddenly destroys the forge, much to Hal's shock, before he quickly realizes that no one can now use it. Sinestro asks Hal if was more worried about it ending up in his hands before Hal reassures his mentor that he was never afraid while knowing Sinestro had his back, the two shaking hands and reaffirming their friendship. The two return to Earth, where Hal tells an enraged Superman that the forge was destroyed before they could salvage it. Superman ultimately decides that it was for the best, as their world is safe and the forge can no longer end up in the wrong hands. As the Man of Steel flies away, Sinestro stands beside Hal and agrees with him, bringing the story to an end. Featured Characters *Black Canary *Harley Quinn *Oracle *Huntress *Batwoman *Renee Montoya *Nightwing (Dick Grayson) (Picture Only) *Commissioner Gordon *Regime Soldiers *Superman *Clayface (First Appearance and as Nightwing (Dick Grayson)) *Catwoman (Cameo) *Sinestro *Green Lantern (Hal Jordan) *Green Lantern Corps (Group) Title "Two Untold Tales". Gallery YEAR TWO ANNUAL.jpg|Textless Promotional Cover Category:Other Media Category:Injustice Comic Series Category:Year Two Category:Storyline